With the new government in Delhi, we now have several ‘double-engine’ governments across states. This gives hope that violence against women and safety issues will get the priority promised in election after election. The previous AAP government had proposed increased surveillance as a solution, but is this effective?

A Woman’s Place is in a Safe City, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Data Feminism Lab in collaboration with Point of View, Red Dot Foundation, and several Kolkata-based civil society organisations, gives us some insights. The study found that under the Safe City Project, 46% of the Nirbhaya Fund is allocated to surveillance and policing. The research questions whether State surveillance effectively prevents the violence faced by women, especially cis and trans women, in public spaces. It also examines the role of digital surveillance in shaping women’s visions of safe cities and proposes six areas for reallocating State funds to realise this vision. While surveillance can be empowering, it cannot replace essential on-the-ground measures that enhance safety for women. For instance, well-lit streets are crucial; a CCTV camera is ineffective........

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